After the Tribulation or Post Tribulation

Some who proclaim a Pre-Tribulation Rapture say that the Bible does not specifically state when the Lord will return for the Church. They say, “There is no verse which states that the Lord will return Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation or Post Tribulation.”

But, that is not totally true, the Bible does state when the Lord will return to gather His chosen, the Church.  As a matter of fact the Lord Himself stated when He would return to gather His elect.  He made the statement in the Olivet Discourse as recorded in two of the gospels accounts.  Jesus says,

Immediately after the tribulation of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other  (Matthew 24:29-31).

But in those days, following that tribulation, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens (Mark 13:24-27).

When people say, “There is no verse which states that the Lord will return Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation or Post Tribulation,” they think they are safe in making this statement because these terms (Pre, Mid and Post) are thought to be terms we have devised to differentiate our beliefs. However, they fail to take into consideration the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible.

The Latin Vulgate states that the Son of Man will return “Post Tribulationem.”  I should point out that we get the term “Post” from Latin. "Post" means “after or following.”

Now, let's look at the Latin Vulgate for the above gospel accounts of Jesus’ words.

VUL Matthew 24:29 statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol obscurabitur et luna non dabit lumen suum et stellae cadent de caelo et virtutes caelorum commovebuntur

VUL Mark 13:24 sed in illis diebus post tribulationem illam sol contenebrabitur et luna non dabit splendorem suum

Not only does the Bible clearly state that Jesus will return to gather His Church after the tribulation, but, the Word of God, in Latin, even uses the term “Post Tribulation” to describe when Christ will return for His Chruch.

 Richard H Perry